Corvette plant gets another week of shutdown

[Rob]

Corvette plant gets another week of shutdown

By Patrick Howington • phowington@courier-journal.com • April 23, 2009

General Motors’ Corvette plant in Bowling Green will shut down for an extra week in July, beyond the six weeks in May, June and July that previously had been announced.

Eldon Renaud, president of UAW Local 2164, said he learned of the seventh week in a meeting today.

Andrea Hales, General Motors’ communications manager for the plant, said she could not confirm that a seventh week of shutdown has been decided on.

News reports have said some plants might be shut down for up to nine weeks this summer because sales have continued to slump. General Motors has not commented on or confirmed those reports.

“Another week is not something we want, but it’s a lot better than some plants are hearing,” Renaud said. If those reports are accurate, “I hate it for those other plants, because nobody wants their fellow union members on layoff.”

Renaud said there is one bright spot on the horizon: The 2010 Corvette will be unveiled tomorrow at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green.

“When it’s springtime and there’s a new car, there’ll be activity,” he said.

“We just hope that the economy picks up and people start placing their orders for their new Corvette convertibles and coupes.”

 

[Rob]

Area UAW President Weighs in on Temporary GM Shut Downs

Posted: 6:22 PM Apr 23, 2009
Last Updated: 6:22 PM Apr 23, 2009
Reporter: Forrest Sanders
Email Address: forrest.sanders@wbko.com

Bowling Green, KY - Concerns grow among General Motors employees as the company requires 13 assembly plants to temporarily shut down this summer.

The temporary shutdowns are intended to cut down production by 190,000 vehicles.

Area United Auto Workers President Eldon Renaud says the news today isn't a major change.

He says the plant was already scheduled to be off the first two weeks of May, June, and July.

"The announcement today, while everyone was worried, is just this additional one week," Renaud explains. "It'll be the third week in July, we'll be down."

Why take the shutdown in spurts of two to three weeks?

"They want to keep the orders going out," says Renaud. "When people want a Corvette, they'd like it soon as they get it. We need community support. It makes a great deal of difference when our legislative leaders, our mayor, county judge executive, that they do support us.

"We don't feel we're necessarily getting that same support from our senators, McConnell and Bunning, nor Guthrie," he continues. "We're concerned about all that. We need help. The stimulus package is needed to get us through the economic slump, and I guess everyone's saying now, 'we're in the Great Recession'."